Nokia 1 brings Android Go goodness to HMD Global’s budget portfolio

TCL’s Alcatel 1X may have earned the coveted title of the “world’s first Android Go smartphone” but while that is permanent, its position in the market will be challenged by another emerging powerhouse’s own take: Nokia 1.

Nokia 1, which had been widely rumoured to be seeing the light of day at Mobile World Congress 2018 just like it did, is not any different from the Alcatel 1X, at least as far as the whole promise of timely updates and good performance on a budget goes. It’s the same basic arrangement that one gets on TCL’s entry-level smartphone but with a Nokia logo slapped at the back. But hold on for a moment, the Nokia 1 has 8GB onboard storage which is paltry by all means. On the plus side, its storage can be expanded via a microSD card all the way up to 128GB, a contrast to the 1X’s 32GB.

Here are specifications of the device:

Dimensions and weight

133.6 x 67.78 x 9.5mm, 131g

Display

4.5-inch FWVGA (854 x 480 pixels) IPS display

Camera

Main camera: 5 MP
Secondary camera: 2 MP

Processor

Octa-core MediaTek MT6737M

Memory

1GB RAM, 8GB onboard storage

Operating System

Android 8.1 Oreo (Go edition)

Battery

2,150mAh

Network

3G, 4G

Connectivity

Wi-Fi 802.11b/g/n, 2.4GHz, Bluetooth 4.2, microUSB (no Type-C!)

Others

FM radio, Dual Nano SIM

Colour options

Warm Red, Dark Blue

The Nokia 1 joins the Nokia 2 and 3 in HMD Global’s entry-level lineup. It will also be the first sub-Kshs 10,000 smartphone from the company to hit the local market.

Here’s the paradox: at $85, its going price when it finally hits the market, the Nokia 1’s price is almost the same as that of the 3G version of the 3310. What’s going on?